Water for irrigation, streams and economy: evaluating past and future climate change to secure a reliable water supply for multiple needs
Date
2011-04
Authors
Shannon, Ted, author
Mason, Steve, author
Igloria, Ronan, author
Rasmussen, Anders, author
U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, publisher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
In the Little Butte Creek and Bear Creek watersheds in southern Oregon a regional, cooperative effort among water users and stakeholders is working to improve water quality and quantity for irrigation, aquatic habitat, and municipal/domestic and other uses in an economically and environmentally feasible manner. The project is called Water for Irrigation, Streams and Economy (WISE). WISE has six primary partners which includes municipalities and irrigation districts. Additionally, a Project Advisory Committee (PAC) also includes U.S. Bureau of Reclamation ("Reclamation"), Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Initial technical screening of conceptual projects that could address the WISE goals includes piping irrigation canals, limited reservoir expansion, and water reuse projects. An operational model was developed using the MODified SIMyld (MODSIM) software. Assessments using the model included evaluation of water reclamation, groundwater-surface water impacts, past climate, and future climate change. The later coupled several global circulation models from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) with snow accumulation/melt and crop irrigation requirement models to estimate potential changes in agricultural water needs as well as changes in the magnitude and occurrence of stream flows. The result of the modeling effort contributed to quantified recommendations regarding projects and phasing which will be further developed and evaluated in a subsequent feasibility study/environmental impact statement.
Description
Presented at Emerging challenges and opportunities for irrigation managers: energy, efficiency and infrastructure: a USCID water management conference held on April 26-29, 2011 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.